Billy Slater scored twice as Australia punished a host of New Zealand errors to win the Anzac Test at Skilled Park.

The Kiwis, World Cup and Four Nations champions, were made to pay for some atrocious handling by a ruthless home display on the Gold Coast.

Debutant Jharal YowYeh and Jamal Idris bagged the hosts' other tries, with Matt Duffie - also on debut - and FuiFui MoiMoi replying for New Zealand.

Darren Lockyer equalled the record for Test appearances by winning a 55th cap.

It was an appropriate way for the Australia captain to mark his last appearance in Queensland in what will be the stand-off's sign-off year from international rugby.

The game centred on a period of five minutes when the game was finely balanced at 10-6, a time when Stephen Kearney's New Zealand side coughed up possession five times in as many minutes - allowing Slater and then Idris to cross.

Slater opened the scoring when he managed to reach out and touch down after St Helens-bound Lance Hohaia had shelled Lockyer's high kick, and YowYeh put Australia firmly in control when he converted from Paul Gallen's pass.

New Zealand reduced their arrears before the break when, on the back of a fine break by Lewis Brown, Duffie went in for a debut try.

But their handling errors always looked like costing them dear and so it proved when another needless knock-on fell into the hands of Ben Hannant and, after the prop had flicked a stunning pass up to Slater, the full-back raced 60 metres to score in the corner.

That broke New Zealand's resistance and, after Nathan Fien spilled possession, the rampaging Idris smashed his way over two tacklers to score.

New Zealand did manage to end on a high, though, with Hohaia going in after a superb reverse kick by Kieran Foran.